Star Tribune Unveils New Obituary Section on StarTribune.com to Give Readers More Choices, Lower Costs

Responding to the needs and preferences of its millions of site visitors, Star Tribune Media Co., Minnesota’s largest media brand, today unveiled a new obituaries section on StarTribune.com, the state’s most-visited website. The completely redesigned section features more options, easier navigation, faster postings, and other enhancements, while reducing costs.

In any seven-day period, more than 90 percent of StarTribune.com readers visit the obituary section of the website, making it one of the most consistently popular destinations for millions of readers. The new Obituaries section will now include:

• Same-Day Postings - When a reader submits a paid obituary (typically by working with a funeral home), it’s posted that same day. Previously, an online obituary only appeared when it appeared in printed editions of the Star Tribune.
• Free Permanent Online Guest Books – Previously, customers paid for one-year or permanent online guest books. Now, a permanent guest book is included with the purchase of every Star Tribune obit, giving families and friends a place to express condolences, share memories, post photos, and more.
• A Sleeker Interface – The site features a clean, uncluttered design making it easier to access guest books, view photos, search listings, and access related content.
• Online Funeral Directory – Readers can browse and search through listings of service providers 
• Multi-Day Discounts – When an obituary buyer chooses to run that obituary for multiple days, the second day is 50 percent off. The new "In Memoriam" rate drops from $10.95/line to just $6.95/line.

"Our readers—and the many businesses that serve them—have spoken clearly," said Paul Kasbohm, vice president of advertising sales for Star Tribune. "This redesign is a thoughtful response to those preferences. We will continue to roll out other improvements to this valuable section of the website and, in the coming weeks, in our print editions as well."

About Star Tribune Media Company
Star Tribune Media Company LLC is a locally owned and operated media company serving Minnesota and the upper Midwest. In the last year, the company’s flagship property, The Star Tribune, has enjoyed exceptional successes, earning two Pulitzer Prize Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, and a Gerald Loeb Award—all while recording key gains in circulation. With the seventh-largest Sunday and 12th-largest daily circulation newspaper in the U.S., the most-visited local website, a range of home-delivered advertising solutions, the Radius small-business digital-marketing solutions, and a popular arts/entertainment publication and smartphone app, Star Tribune reaches more consumers than any other Minnesota media brand. For more information, visit http://www.startribune.com.